


Urithiru University

by OctolingO



Category: Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24609202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OctolingO/pseuds/OctolingO
Summary: It’s a college AU and I suck at summaries
Relationships: Rua/Glys, Shallan Davar/Adolin Kholin, Sylphrena/Pattern
Comments: 15
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

Kaladin paced around his dorm, anxiously waiting for his new roommate to show up. Not that Kaladin didn’t like meeting new people, it was just that he was worried that his roommate and he wouldn’t get along (that was the reason why he was getting a  _ new  _ roommate halfway through his freshman year). He could hear Syl’s voice teasing him in his head,  _ Stop being so nervous, Kal! I’m sure everything will be fine.  _ Kaladin smiled wanly and wrung his hands, forcing himself to stop pacing and sit down. 

A knock sounded on the door.

Kaladin shot up out of his chair, quickly running a hand through his hair. He walked up to the door.

“Come in!” He said, in what he hoped was a welcoming tone of voice. The door opened, revealing a skinny boy holding a single suitcase. His hair was a peculiar combination of gold and black, with there being more of the latter color. Kaladin noted with interest that the coloring had spread even down to his eyebrows. The boy’s eyes were blue, and he was wearing spectacles that he self-consciously shoved up his nose. 

“H-hello.” The boy stammered. 

“Hello.”

“You’re Kaladin, right? Kaladin Stormblessed?”

“ Yup. You’re my new roommate, I take it?”   
“Y-yeah. I’m Renarin Kholin.” 

“Well, welcome to floor 4 of the dormitories, Renarin. Your room is just over there.” Kaladin said, gesturing to a door. Renarin nodded his thanks and, ducking his head, went into his room. Kaladin shook his head.  _ He’s more nervous than I am.  _ He thought, amused.  _ I should probably let Syl know that she was right.  _ Grabbing his phone, he texted her.

**Kaladin: new roommate is here, everything is good**

Syl’s response was almost instant, though she was technically supposed to be in a class right now.

**Sylphrena: See, I told u so**

**Sylphrena: Gotta go b4 the teacher notices Im not listening byeeeeeee**

Kaladin smiled to himself; he could always count on Syl to raise his mood.

Renarin’s door opened, jolting Kaladin from his thoughts. He turned, making eye contact with the blonde-and-black haired boy.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” Renarin apologized.

“No problem. So, what brings you to Urithiru University?” Kaladin said, moving back to sit on the couch. 

“My brother goes here; he’s a year older than me. And my father, cousin, and aunt teach here.”

“Wow. Quite the family ties.” Kaladin said, impressed. Renarin nodded and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Do you know anyone who goes here?”   
“My friend, Sylphrena. She’s in class right now, I think.” 

“Oh, Adolin’s girlfriend is Syl’s roommate.”

“Shallan Davar?”

“Yep. Shallan’s bestie Charles “Pattern” is Adolin’s roommate.”

“Pattern, huh?” Kaladin recognized that name; he was Syl’s boyfriend. 

“Yeah.” Renarin said. Kaladin nodded.

“What are you studying here? I’m studying to be a surgeon.”

“I don’t actually know yet, though I’m leaning in a culinary direction.”  _ Sure is a good thing Urithiru University offers every subject.  _ Kaladin thought. 

“Well, I cannot cook, so maybe this will benefit both of us.” Renarin nodded with a small smile. 

Someone knocked on the door, making Renarin jump. 

“I’ll get it.” Kaladin said, already knowing who would be on the other side of the door. “Come up here, Renarin.” The other boy stammered an apology and made his way to the door. Kaladin opened it. Three people stood in the hallway: a tall, broad shouldered boy with red hair; an older, sturdily-built boy (he was in his 3rd year) and a young boy with a prosthetic arm.

“Hey Rock, Teft, Lopen.” Kaladin said, nodding to each of them in turn. 

“Hey, gancho!” Lopen said with a grin. “We’re here to welcome your new roomie!”

“He’s right here.” Kaladin gestured to Renarin, who looked like he was trying to disappear through the floor. 

“Hello.” Teft said, with the most kind smile he could muster.

“Hi. I’m R-Renarin Kholin.”

“A Kholin!” Rock said, voice gruff. “There is one of them two floors above us. Adolin.”

“He’s my brother.” Renarin said. “Is he… nice?”   
“He’s a little stuck-up, but he’s not mean.” Teft said. 

“Okay, that’s good.” Renarin said, visibly relaxing. Lopen, on the other hand, cursed and ran off down the hallway.

“I’m late for fabrial engineering!” 


	2. Chapter 2

Adolin nervously bit his lip as he texted his younger brother.

**Adolin: Hey little bro, is everything ok**

**Ren: Yeah, I’m okay**

**Adolin: how’s the new roomie???**

**Ren: He’s kinda broody, honestly**

**Ren: He’s friends w/ Shal’s roommate**

**Adolin: no way, really? You’re roomie is Kaladin McGrumpyPants?**

**Ren: Yah. And it’s your, not you’re**

Adolin rolled his eyes.  _ I should've corrected myself.  _ He thought. Just then, Pattern walked into the room. Adolin sent a quick text to his brother:

**Adolin: Pattern just walked in bye bro**

**Adolin: glad to hear everything’s going good**

**Ren: K bye**

Pattern sat on the far end of the couch, taking his heavy hood off. The kid had an obsession with wearing hoodies that were at least three sizes too big for him. He brought his knees up to his chest and pulled his hoodie over his knees. He doodled on the black hoodie with a silver marker as he spoke to Adolin.

“How are things going with your brother?”

“He says everything’s good.” Adolin said. He tried not to stare at Pattern’s drawings, but the designs were incredibly intricate. 

Pattern was a fitting nickname. 

“His roommate is Kaladin.”

“Syl’s friend?” Pattern said, looking up from his drawing. His dark eyes widened a little: for Pattern, this was the equivalent of a loud gasp. 

“Yeah. He says Kaladin is broody.” Pattern smiled. 

“He is pretty ‘broody’. According to Sylphrena, at least.” Pattern returned to his drawings, and Adolin noticed with a hint of amusement that small hearts were making their way into the art. Pattern and Syl had been dating since two weeks into the year, and Adolin much preferred the “in love” Pattern to the “new freshman” Pattern. He honestly thought they were a bit of an odd couple, since Pattern was so reserved and kept up with his studies, and Syl was perky, loud, and had a habit of putting off her papers until three in the morning the night before they were due. 

But, they were a cute couple, and Adolin was a hopeless romantic. His phone buzzed as someone texted him. 

**Shallan ♥️♥️♥️: hey Lin I need help**

**Adolin: yeah what is it**

**Shallan ♥️♥️♥️: I worked too hard on this art project and now I’m gonna fail phys ed**

**Adolin: meet me in the gym ill be right there**

**Shallan ♥️♥️♥️: thx *kiss***

Adolin rolled his eyes as he stuffed his phone in his back pants pocket and stood up. 

“I gotta go to the gym to do something; I’ll be back in a few hours.” Pattern nodded without looking away from his doodling. Adolin grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and made his way to the gym. 

He only had to wait a few minutes before Shallan almost ran right into him. 

“You got here fast.” She said. Adolin shrugged. 

“I said I’d ‘be right there.’”

“You have a point.” Shallan stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Adolin’s cheek, grinning as she saw the other boy’s face go red. 

“So what do you need help with?” Adolin asked, once he had regained control of his voice. 

“We have to show some self defense things, in case someone comes up to us with a Shard weapon.” Adolin nodded gravely. Shard weapons of any kind were some of the most dangerous weapons in Roshar; his uncle Gavilar had been killed by one. “We’ve already done Shardblades, this time it’s Shardgauntlets.”

“I thought those were so rare they weren’t a problem.” Adolin said. A Shardgaunlet was an elaborate web of Shard metal that wrapped around a person’s hand, so it did the damage of a Shardblade without the hassle of using a sword. 

“Yeah, so did I, but Professor Amaram thought differently.” Adolin grimaced. Meridas Amaram was known to be a very kind teacher and a good grader, but you did  _ not _ want to get on his bad side. 

“Alright. So what do I need to do?” He said. 

“Wear this.” Shallan said. She got a metal glove from the bag she’d had walking in and handed it to Adolin, who put it on. It weighed the same amount a Shardgauntlet would, but it was dull and wasn’t made from Shard metal—as long as Shallan didn’t take any direct hits, she shouldn’t get badly hurt. “Now try to attack me, but please be careful.”

“Alright.” Adolin said with a shrug. He fell into a combat position, as did Shallan. He noted with satisfaction that Shallan was much less rigid and tense than she had been last time they’d dueled, which meant she was learning something. The two of them sparred for about an hour, with Shallan steadily getting better at avoiding Adolin’s jabs. She only got hit twice, both of them along her upper arm, and thankfully they were just glancing blows. Shallan wiped sweat off her face and pushed some of her unruly red hair behind her ear. 

“I gotta get going so I can shower before I have the test.”

“Wait, you have it  _ today? _ ”

“Yes.” Shallan said. She grinned at Adolin’s slack-jawed expression before turning and jogging off. Adolin smiled to himself after she left, going to change into a new pair of clean but identical clothes.  _ I’m so lucky she’s my girlfriend.  _ He thought. 


	3. Chapter 3

Syl hummed to herself as she strolled down the paths winding through Urithiru University. Technically, she was supposed to be getting to her meeting with Pattern, Wyndle, Maya, Glys, Ivory, and Rua, but it could wait. Besides, she’d been late every meeting and no one had kicked her out yet—and there had been a lot of meetings, so far.  _ Well, Wyndle is gonna flip his lid if I’m more than ten minutes late, so I’d better get going.  _ She glanced at her phone to check for messages before hastening her pace.

They were an odd group, her and her friends:

Pattern was mostly quiet and reserved, but he was also a genius and a wonderful artist. 

Ivory was a lot like Pattern: they had similar taste in clothing, except Ivory always wore something tasteful and Pattern only wore clothes that were way too big, and they both had a bit of a taste for art. 

Maya almost never spoke during the meetings, but when she did it was usually to give a positive reinforcement to one of the others. Though she did kind of give Syl the creeps. 

Rua was Syl’s cousin, and they shared a lot of similar traits: their sense of drama, their tendency to be late to everything, and their love of playing pranks. Though, Rua had a tendency for cruder humor than Syl did. 

Wyndle was very nice, most of the time. He was a little stuck-up, but he had a strange obsession with flowers and gardening. Syl honestly found it funny. 

Glys did not talk much either. He was fascinated by any sort of old magic, be it zodiac signs tarot cards, or conspiracy theories. He tended to go on rants whenever a topic similar to those came up when they were chatting. 

Her phone buzzed. 

**Garden Boy: Syl please hurry up Glys won’t stop talking about reading tea leaf patterns**

**Syl:👌**

She put her phone back in her pocket and put it on silent. She sped up a little, partly because she hoped to hear the end of Glys’ rant before someone stopped him—probably Wyndle or Ivory. 

In about ten minutes, Syl stood in front of the door to Wyndle’s room. He and Ivory were roommates, and they used their room to host everyone else. She could hear some chatting from the other side of the door, and she knocked. 

“That must be Syl.” Someone said, probably Ivory. 

“Finally!” And that was Wyndle. The door opened and Syl walked in, shoving a strand of her blue hair (it was technically blonde, but she’d been dying it blue since she was twelve) out of her face. 

Her friends sat in various chairs around the room. Pattern was curled on one end of the couch, with Maya sitting on the other end. Glys was sitting on a stool, talking and moving his hands in wide gestures as he did so. Wyndle sat in a chair, looking like he was about to punch Glys in the face if it would make the other boy stop talking. Ivory sat on the floor as he reentered the room, and Syl smushed herself in between Maya and Pattern. 

“Where’s Rua?” She asked.   
“He’s late.” Wyndle said disdainfully. 

“Even later than me!” Syl exclaimed. “That’s a feat.” As if on cue, the door banged open—making Maya and Wyndle flinch, and Glys fall off his stool. Rua strolled in, carrying a paper bag in one hand and a book for calculus in another. He sat on the floor next to Ivory, opening the bag and pulling out a box.

“Who wants bagels?” Syl and Glys raised their hands, and were struck in the face by the ring-shaped food. “Great. And who wants to help me burn this calculus book? I’m pretty sure it’s evil.”

“You can’t burn that, it’s school property.” Wyndle pointed out. Rua shrugged and stuffed the book in the paper bag.

“I’ll burn it in three years when I graduate, then.” Rua said with a nonchalant shrug. Syl laughed. 

“So, how has this week been for everyone?” Ivory said in his obnoxiously deep voice. 

“Adequate.” Pattern said. He motioned for Syl to give him her hand, which she did. Pattern began drawing swirls and jagged lines across her knuckles. “More of my homework got covered in artwork.”

“Kaladin got a new roommate.” Syl said. “He said everything was going good over there.”

“His roommate is Adolin’s brother.” Maya supplied.  _ That’s right, I forgot her and Adolin were friends.  _

“I didn’t know Adolin had a brother.” Glys said, cocking his head—which made his round glasses fall off his face. 

“Renarin. He’s a year or so younger than Adolin.” Maya said. She returned to biting her fingernails. 

“I,” Wyndle interrupted, “finally got the flower I was growing to bloom, so that’s good.” 

“What kind of flower?” Glys asked, leaning forward. 

“ _ Phalaenopsis amabilis _ .” Wyndle said. “It’s this white kind of orchid with a yellow center and it took me forever to grow.” 

“That’s cool.” Ivory commented. “I spent an extra hour in the library reading and drawing.”

“Is that a new tie?” Rua asked, pointing to the purple bowtie Ivory was wearing.

“As a matter of fact, it is.” Ivory said pridefully. “Bought it last night.”

“You need to spend your money on more practical things.” Wyndle pointed out. “Student debts are worse enough, without money going to waste.”

“My appearance is not a waste.” Ivory said. Wyndle rolled his eyes. 

“Anything else we need to talk about?” Pattern asked. “Because I have to get to class.”

“Same.” Rua said, standing up. He threw another bagel at Glys, who caught it with a look of surprise. 

“Nice catch.” Syl commented. Glys’ subsequent blush added color to his pale face.

“Bye.” Rua said, sauntering out the door. Syl rolled her eyes as the rest of them departed from Wyndle and Ivory’s room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading; I have an announcement.  
> After this week, I will be unable to access a good computer until school starts in late August/early September. I have a few chapters in reserve, to be posted on mondays, but if I don’t post much this summer that’s why. Sorry for any disappointment 😐


	4. Chapter 4

Lift muttered something to herself as she walked into her culinary class, regretting not quitting school when she had the chance.  _ You need a better sleep schedule _ . Wyndle’s voice said in her head. He was probably right, however much she didn’t want to admit it. 

He was right most of the time. 

As Lift sat at her table, her stomach grumbled. She reached into her pocket and pulled out one of her two emergency granola bars. 

Her teacher walked in. She went by Cook, and none of the students knew her actual name. Cook was a tall woman, surprisingly slender for her job as the culinary teacher. She set her laptop near her desk and waved to Lift. 

“Hello, Miss Lift.”

“Hey Cook.” Lift said, curling a piece of her hair around her finger. “And just Lift is fine.” 

“Right. Still trying to remember stuff from last semester.” Cook said with a sheepish smile. “How come you’re the first one here?”

“Luck, I guess.” Lift said, shrugging. As she spoke, more students began filing into the room. She recognized Rock and Lopen from last semester, and she knew the other students had been there last time as well (she just hadn’t bothered to learn their names). There was one new boy as well, who tripped over a chair leg on his way in. Lift chuckled to herself.

As the rest of the students took their places and began chatting, Lift noticed the new kid sat in the desk closest to the wall. He pulled out a fidget cube (the last time Lift had seen one of those had been highschool) and started fiddling with the side with the buttons. 

“Alright, I realize we’re three weeks into the semester and most of you have to work on your ‘food of culture’ project—” Cook shot a glance at Lift, who had yet to pick a partner and start the project, “but we have a new student.” She gestured, and the new kid stood up. He shoved the fidget cube into his pocket, as if he was embarrassed to have been using it. “This is Renarin Kholin.” A ripple went through the class, surprised to realize that this boy was a member of the fabled Kholin family. 

“Why’s he joining so late?” One boy asked. Renarin looked down at his shoes. 

“Renarin has been taking classes at Urithiru University since the beginning of first semester.” Cook explained. “He’s been doing them online due to health problems.” Lift examined Renarin more closely. Now that she looked, he did seem unnaturally pale.

“What kinds of health problems?” The same boy said, sounding extremely skeptical. 

“That is not a question I need to answer, Moash.” Cook said.  _ Right, that’s his name.  _ Moash shrugged, though the look he shot Renarin implied he would be asking some questions later. Renarin sat down and pulled out the fidget cube again, this time switching to the side with the joystick, since it was quieter. 

“You may get to work on your projects.” As the various students broke off into their groups, Lift got up and went over to Renarin. 

“Hey.” She said, hoping her voice didn’t sound terribly awkward. Renarin startled, looking up at her.

“Hello. What’s your name?”   
“Lift. I need a partner for the project, would you like to be mine?”   
“The food cultures project?” Renarin clarified. Lift was impressed.  _ I guess he has been learning online.  _ She nodded. 

“Yep. That one.”

“Well, I haven’t started on it yet, so I also need a partner. I suppose we can work together.” Renarin said nervously. “If you want to, that is.”

“I asked first.” Lift pointed out. “I do want to.” Renarin blinked, a blush coloring his face. 

“Oh. R-right. Sorry.”

“No problem.” Lift sat in the chair next to Renarin. “So, what kind of ideas do you have?” 

“Well, I’m Alethi. I assume you’re Reshi?” Renarin said tentatively. Lift nodded. 

“I am. So that rules out studying our own cultures.”

“Yeah. Maybe we could study something from Azir, or Tashikk. I’ve heard there’s a city in Tashikk that reportedly has ten varieties of pancakes, that could be interesting.”   
“It’s a better idea than anything I could come up with.” Lift said with a shrug. “You’re pretty smart, Kholin.” Renarin looked away, fingers adjusting the buttons on his jacket.

“Thanks.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9 is gonna have some gay stuff in it 😏


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about not posting this yesterday I forgot to :/

**Swirls: Are you going to the library today?**

**Shallan: Ya Pattern I am why**

**Swirls: I am going to be there, drawing. I just thought I’d let you know.**

**Shallan: K I’ll see you there then**

Shallan put her phone back in her pocket and shouldered her pack of drawing supplies. Her quick sparring session with Adolin had helped her test, and she felt like she at least got a B on it. 

However, Professor Amaram could die for all she cared. 

She chewed on a piece of her hair as she entered the library, struck again by the sheer size and number of books in the building. She made her way to the central area, where there was a collection of tables for students to do their work at. Pattern was sitting on one, drawing something with a metallic black marker. She sat next to him and took out her sketchbook. 

“Hello.” Pattern greeted. He spared a moment to look up from his drawing. 

“Hi Pattern. How’d the meeting with your friends go?”   
“It went well.” Pattern said. “How did your test go?”

“Probably horribly, but whatever. It’s not like I’m going to be a personal trainer or anything.” Shallan said as she began to sketch a memory of Adolin’s sparring with her. Pattern offered her a small smile. 

“I suppose you’re right.” He conceded. He looked like he was going to say something more, but a loud  _ bang!  _ from the other side of the central area caught his attention. 

A boy had dropped a rather large hardcover book right on his foot. He slapped a hand over his mouth so as to not shout and further disturb those who were studying, though it was clear shouting was a logical response. The girl who had been chatting with him froze for a moment before picking up the book. Shallan winced as she saw how large said book was—it would be a miracle if the boy hadn’t broken his toe. 

__ _ Wait a second.  _ She thought.  _ Is that Adolin?  _ The boy did have the same blonde and black hair as her boyfriend, but no. Adolin didn’t wear glasses.  _ Storms. That’s ‘Lin’s brother, isn’t it?  _ She was right. The poor student who had just dropped a three inches wide hardcover book on his foot was none other than Renarin Kholin. She watched a few moments longer as Renarin winced and limped to a table, where he sat down. The girl sat next to him, seemed to ask if he was okay, and then the two of them began reading the large book. 

“Resilient of him.” Pattern commented. Shallan nodded. 

“Agreed. Renarin always struck me as sort of wimpy.”   
“Don’t let Adolin hear you say that.” Pattern warned. 

“I know, I know.” Shallan, who had taken a Memory of the scene, began to sketch it. 

“Also, don’t let Adolin see that you’re drawing that. He’ll probably flip out that his brother dropped a book on his foot.” Shallan laughed. Pattern was right; Adolin was very protective of his younger brother due to some health concerns on Renarin’s part. Shallan had yet to learn the extent of said health concerns, but she knew it had something to do with epilepsy. She let her mind drift as she examined her drawing, frowning at a few smudges of graphite that marred the page. 

Her phone dinged, and Shallan looked at the screen to see a message from one of her brothers. 

**Brother #2: Shal**

**Shallan: Balat what’s up**

**Brother #2: I’m in the library, did you hear that noise?**

**Shallan: The loud banging one**

**Brother #2: That’s the one**

**Shallan: I’m surprised you could hear that; it’s in the central area**

**Brother #2: Are you going to tell me what happened or not**

**Shallan: Geez, chill your flaming hair for a second.**

**Brother #2: 😒**

**Shallan: Fine some kid dropped a book on his foot**

**Brother #2: oh ouch**

**Brother #2: see that wasn’t so hard, now was it?**

**Shallan: shut up.**

Shallan smiled to herself as she put her phone on silent, returning to her sketchbook. Pattern leaned over and started adding his swirly designs to the corners, but Shallan didn’t mind. It was a quirk that she’d noticed her best friend had, and it was relaxing to watch him draw. 

“Carrothead.” A voice greeted, accompanied by her being cuffed over the head by a packet of homework.  _ Come on, really? _

__ “Go away, Moash.” She grumbled. Moash laughed. 

“Make me.” 

“Moash.” Pattern said, standing up. He probably meant to appear threatening, but he was a head shorter than Moash was. “Kindly stop antagonizing my friend.”

“Shut up, Shorty.”

“Wow, Moash.” A new voice said, this one silkier and more feminine. Professor Jasnah walked up to Moash, her fuchsia skirt swishing. 

“P-professor Jasnah.” Moash stuttered, his bravado gone. 

“One would think a student of your capacity would be beyond petty names.”

“C-capacity?”   
“Why, of course. Capacity for reasonable insults.” Jasnah smiled. Moash looked down, face flushed. He walked away with a muttered curse.    
“Thank you, Professor.” Shallan said. 

“Anytime, Shallan. I’m always happy to put a student in their place.” Jasnah said. She leaned over, looking at the sketches Shallan had been working on. “You have skill.” The designs decorating the edges caught her attention. “Interesting art, Pattern.” She said, before turning and leaving the commons of the library. Shallan made a point of staring daggers into Moash’s back as the boy left her line of sight. 


	6. Chapter 6

Renarin bit his lip to keep from wincing as he entered his room, finding Kaladin sitting on the sofa and texting someone. 

“Hello, Renarin.” Kaladin said, putting his phone away.

“Hey.” Renarin said nonchalantly, setting his backpack on the floor beside the wall. He sat on the couch, in the opposite corner as Kaladin. Taking off his boot and sock, he winced at the massive bruise spreading across his foot. 

“Storms, how did that happen?” Kaladin asked, eyes assessing the injury. 

“I was stupid.”

“Stupid how?”

“I dropped a giant book on my foot.” Kaladin looked away, as if he was thinking something over. 

“I wish I could say I haven’t done that.” He straightened, looking back at Renarin—who made eye contact, despite how uncomfortable it made him. “You should put some ice on it, that will help with any swelling.” 

“Thanks.” Renarin said, standing and limping to the small freezer in a corner of the room, which currently contained a lot of ice and three pints of ice cream. He grabbed a few handfuls of ice cubes and put them in a bag, then put the bag on his foot. 

“So, is there a story behind you dropping a book on your foot?” Kaladin said. Renarin shrugged. 

“I was working on a project, and I dropped a book. That’s about it.” 

“Huh. I would think one of the ‘Great Kholins’ would have a more interesting tale.”

“Yeah, about that. Don’t tell Adolin. Ever.”

“Sure thing.” Kaladin said. He knew from Shallan that Adolin was protective of his brother, almost to a fault, though the thought of Adolin Kholin panicking over a bruise was extremely amusing. 

Someone knocked on their door, sending Kaladin flying to his feet at an alarming speed.  _ You have no chill.  _ Renarin thought, amused. He did his best to hide his injured foot as Kaladin opened the door. 

“Hello Moash.” Kaladin said with a small smile. “What is it?”

“I’m having a party in an hour or so; thought I’d invite you and your new roommate.” Moash said with a shrug. 

“I don’t know, Renarin just—”

“No, I’ll go.” Renarin said, simultaneously hating himself for talking. Sure, he hated large social gatherings, but he also hated the risk of being called a coward. 

“Great! See you there.” Moash walked away, and Kaladin closed the door. He immediately turned to Renarin. 

“You can’t go with a foot injury like that.”

“You can’t stop me,  _ Dad _ .” Renarin shot back. Kaladin sighed, rubbing the strange tattoo on his forehead. 

“Fine. Just, be careful, alright?”

“You’re going to make a great doctor.” Renarin smirked. His expression turned more serious as he spoke again. “So, who all is going to be at this party?”   
“The people on this floor. Moash, Teft, Lopen, Rock, Drehy, Skar, Hobber, Dru, Syl, Rua, and Glys.” Renarin recognized Teft, Lopen, and Rock’s names, but the others were new ones. 

“Who all are they?” He asked, realizing he sounded like an over-inquisitive parent. 

“Drehy, Hobber and Skar are friends with Lopen and his friends. Dru is Drehy’s boyfriend. Syl is my friend, Rua’s her cousin, and Glys is Rua’s—he’s friends with the two of them.”

“Ah.” Renarin nodded. “Thanks.” 

“No problem.” 

Forty five minutes later, Renarin was regretting his choice to go to this party. He’d never been to a party, at least not one since freshman year of highschool. And he would only really know Kaladin, who seemed to know everyone else on the floor. 

“Are you ready to get going?” Kaladin asked, lacing up his boots. Renarin snapped himself out of his thoughts. “If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to. You’re looking pretty pale.” 

“I’m fine.” Renarin said firmly. 

“Alright.” Kaladin said, though he seemed doubtful. “We don’t want to be late, so let’s get going.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.” The two of them left their room, Renarin grabbing his fidget cube on the way out. 

Kaladin knocked on Moash’s door, and the boy answered it. 

“Glad you showed up.” He said with a smile that Renarin did  _ not _ like. 

“We said we would.” Kaladin replied smoothly. 

“That you did.” Moash said, chuckling. He stepped clear of the doorway, beckoning Kaladin and Renarin inside. They weren’t the first people there, despite being 5 minutes early. Evidently Moash’s parties were a big deal. Besides them, there was a wiry boy, a blue-haired boy, and a blue-haired girl. Kaladin waved at them as they entered:

“Hey Skar, Syl, Rua.” 

“Hi Kal!” The girl (presumably Syl) said with a smile and a wave. The boy talking to her made a finger-gun motion at Kaladin. Syl looked at Renarin. “You must be Kal’s roommate, then?” Renarin nodded. 

“Yeah. I’m Renarin Kholin.”

“Nice to meet you!” Syl grinned. Renarin blushed, looking away. He busied himself with pushing the buttons of the fidget cube inside his pocket. 

“He seems nervous.” Skar murmured, leaning to speak to Kaladin. 

“I don’t think he’s been to a party like this before.” Kaladin reasoned. Skar nodded in understanding. Moash greeted another set of people as they entered: Drehy, Dru, Hobber, Lopen, and Rock, along with a cluster of people who Renarin didn’t know. 

“Who are they?” Renarin asked. Kaladin shrugged. 

“Seems like Moash invited some more people than he usually does.” The boy said. Renarin bit his lip. 

“Ah.” He said, hoping his voice didn’t sound a few octaves higher. “Is everyone who was supposed to show up here, then?”   
“I don’t see Glys.” Kaladin said, running his eyes over the group of students. “He probably ducked out; he gets really nervous about stuff like that.”  _ Maybe that’s what I should’ve done. _ Renarin thought bitterly.

An hour into the party, Renarin was completely and utterly done with it. He’d decided never to go to another party in his life. It had started fine, and a very anxious looking boy with white hair (probably dyed) had wandered in with a shy wave to Syl and Rua. Renarin had assumed the white-haired boy was Glys. 

The problem was the newcomers who Kaladin didn’t know. They fit the stereotype of ‘crazy partiers’, and Moash’s decision to include alcohol in his celebration had been a serious mistake on his part. Renarin had declined trying any probably close to twenty times before the other partygoers left him alone about it.

Renarin was currently curled up, in a space between a chair and the wall. It was comfortably snug, and it still had enough room for him to move his hands if he needed to—to cover his ears or fiddle with something, for example. 

Speaking of which, his fidget cube would really come in handy right now. 

Renarin stuck his hand in his pocket, feeling around for the object. He didn’t feel anything. Reminding himself that it might just be in the other pocket, he checked there. 

The fidget cube wasn’t in any of the four pockets on his coat. It must’ve fallen out somewhere while he’d been getting jostled around, or someone had taken it right from his pocket.  _ Storming chull-scat.  _ He thought.  _ Now what do I do?  _ Renarin tried to keep his thoughts from straying into the panicking side of his brain, but he was trying in vain. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger ending eheheh 
> 
> Chapter 7 comes out next week(yes I realize waiting sucks sorry  
> And I have now watched 2 and 3/4 episodes of Avatar the Last Airbender and would like to recommend the fanfic “The Storms Blessed by the Waves” it’s a Stormlight Avatar AU and it stars pretty great


	7. Chapter 7

Lopen chuckled as yet another student tripped over the random things he’d set around the room. 

“That is mean.” Rock said, standing next to him. 

“It’s not mean, gancho.” Lopen replied. “It’s funny. Right, Teft?”

“Don’t bring me into this. I’m in the gray area, and that’s where I’ll stay.” Teft said, raising his hands.

“Fine.” Lopen said with a huff. 

“Wait, do you hear that?” Teft said, cocking his head. 

“I hear nothing.” Rock said. 

“No, listen closely.” Lopen and Rock were silent, straining to hear some sort of noise. Barely audible of Moash’s much too loud music, Lopen thought he could hear gasping. 

“Who is that?” He asked. 

“Him.” Rock said, pointing. Lopen looked, and there was a  _ person _ wedged between the wall and a chair. 

“Is that Kholin?” Lopen said incredulously, looking at the pale-faced boy. 

“Think so.” Teft said. He knelt in front of Renarin and began talking, loudly so he could be heard but gently so he didn’t make Renarin freak out. “Are you okay?” Renarin gave a barely perceptible shake of his head. “What do you need?” Renarin’s mouth moved, but no sound came out. His fingers twitched. “I didn’t get that, can you say it again?” Instead of talking, Renarin held out his hands—which were shaking horribly—and made a grabbing motion. 

“Didn’t he have a fidget cube when he got here?” Lopen asked. 

“Right. He wants that.” Rock agreed. 

“But we’re not going to be able to find it in a quick enough amount of time.” Lopen reasoned. Rock snapped his fingers, pulling a small wooden box from his pocket. He handed the box to Teft, who held it out to Renarin. The other boy tentatively reached out, as if he was worried Teft would take the box away. Once Renarin’s fingers touched the box, he seemed to forgo this previous worry and he snatched it from Teft’s hands, rubbing his thumb over the wood and fiddling with the lid. Teft, Lopen, and Rock waited a couple minutes for Renarin’s breathing to even out and for him to look up at the three of them. 

“T-thank you.” The boy stammered. Teft nodded. 

“You’re welcome.” He said. Renarin pushed himself from his hiding spot, standing up beside Teft and clicking the box open. He was eyeing the door on the far side of the room. 

“You want to leave?” Rock asked. Renarin flinched, looking up at the tall red-haired boy. He gave a small, jerky nod. Rock put his hand on Renarin’s shoulder and glared at anyone who gave the two of them weird looks as he guided Renarin to the door and opened it, as the boy’s hands were still shaking too hard to work a doorknob. Renarin gave Rock a thankful glance before stepping outside. Rock closed the door, striding back over to Lopen and Teft. 

“Poor kid.” Teft commented. 

“He’s only two years younger than you, Teft.” Lopen pointed out. Teft shrugged. 

“He looks a lot younger than that.” Lopen had to agree with that; Renarin didn’t look like he could possibly be in college.    
“You think we should check on him?” Rock said, looking down at his two friends. 

“It couldn’t hurt.” Teft said. “Besides, this party wasn’t very fun to begin with.” Lopen and Rock nodded in agreement, and the three of them went into the hallway. Renarin was sitting, knees pulled up to his chest, and head leaning back against the wall. He was still clicking the box open and closed. He jumped when the door opened. 

“Are you doing alright?” Teft said. 

“I am now.” Renarin replied. “Thank you, again.” He blushed. 

“No problem.” 

“Does that… happen often?” Lopen asked, scratching at his prosthetic arm. Rock elbowed him. 

“You do not have to tell, Kholin.” Said the tall boy. Renarin shook his head, fingering one of the box’s corners. 

“I will. You guys deserve some sort of an explanation for helping me.” He took a deep breath and readjusted his glasses on his face. “I’ve had anxiety disorders since I was really little; like 5 years old. When I turned 10, the… the seizures started happening. They weren’t fatal, except for one time when I was 14, but the constant fear of having a seizure made my anxiety worse. The seizures got a lot worse through highschool, which is why I joined college late.” He paused. “Anyway, the anxiety. Loud noises and big crowds have always been a source of discomfort, which, considering my brother is extremely social, got a lot more uncomfortable the older I got. 

I didn’t want to be rude when Moash invited Kaladin and I to his party, so I said I’d go. I had multiple opportunities to back out, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to be a coward, or for you guys to think I was. It was stupid, clearly. I lost my fidget cube and had a panic attack.” Renarin combed his fingers through his multicolored hair. “So, yeah, that’s how messed up I am.” He laughed, but he clearly didn’t think anything was funny. 

“Wow.” Lopen said, shocked. “You’re like the bravest person ever.”

“W-what?” Renarin asked. “How? I couldn’t even handle losing a cheap plastic toy.”

“It was something that mattered to you. You had every right to be upset.” Teft said. Renarin shook his head. 

“It was still stupid of me.” 

“We should go back to rooms.” Rock said. “Don’t want Moash knowing we left early.” 

“Won’t he notice anyways?” Renarin asked with a tilt of his head. 

“Ha! No.” Lopen laughed. “He probably won’t remember any of tonight unless he catches us out here.”   
“Alright, then.” Renarin said, standing and stretching. He held the box out to Rock. “Thanks for letting me borrow this.” 

“You keep it.” Rock said. “I gave it to you.” 

“Oh. Thank you.” Renarin held the box close to him, smiling at Rock. Rock nodded. 

“It’s nothing.” The three of them turned, making their way back to their rooms: Lopen and Rock shared one, Teft shared with Moash, so he went back inside. Renarin sighed, rubbing his hand across the box again before he ventured down the hall and went back to his room. Kaladin was, expectedly, still at Moash’s party—and Renarin could hear the music blasting through five walls. It would be a miracle if his roommate, or anyone on floor 4 for that matter could hear after tonight. He put the box on the little desk next to his bed, changed into sweatpants and a loose shirt for sleeping, and went to bed. 


	8. Chapter 8

Kaladin yawned as he woke up, glancing at the clock and seeing that it was 6:45 am.  _ Crap, I overslept.  _ He thought (he usually woke up at 6:30). Going into the main room of their dorm, Kaladin saw that Renarin was already awake. The other boy was nestled into a corner of the couch, wearing a set of headphones and chewing on one of the blueberry muffins that were sitting on the table. He took his headphones off as he noticed Kaladin entering the room. 

“Good morning.”   
“Morning. How’d you like the party?” Renarin flinched, putting his muffin on the couch arm and grabbing a small wooden box from his pocket. 

“It was fine, but I’m probably not going to do it again.” He said. Kaladin turned to Renarin with a raised eyebrow. 

“Are you sure?”   
“Sure of what?”   
“Sure that it was fine.”   
“Yes, I am sure.” Renarin said, a bit of tightness in his voice. Kaladin bit his lip, turning around and grabbing a muffin. He ate the whole thing in about three bites. The two boys sat on opposite ends of the couch, Kaladin opening his laptop and checking his email while Renarin typed something on his phone and listening to whatever music he was listening to. Kaladin glanced over after a few minutes to see that Renarin had put his phone away, and was leaning back on the couch with his eyes closed. He was fiddling with a wooden box and humming. 

“Where’d you get the box?” Renarin opened an eye, looking at Kaladin. He sighed and took off the headphones to respond. 

“Yesterday.”

“At the party?”

“Yeah. One of your friends gave it to me.”   
“Who?”   
“Why does it matter?” Renarin snapped. He exhaled, rubbing his temples. “Sorry. You didn’t deserve that. Rock gave it to me.”   
“It’s okay.” Kaladin said, though he was shocked at Renarin’s outburst—the other boy seemed very reserved and calm.  _ Nice of Rock to give that to him.  _ He thought. Kaladin was about to say something else when his watch beeped. He glanced, noticing his alert for  **Get ready to go to medical hour one!**

Which was a few miles across the campus, and Kaladin walked to it. 

“I need to go.” He said, standing and stretching. Renarin shrugged, putting his headphones back on. 

“Go ahead. I’m not stopping you.” Renarin said in a slightly louder voice.  _ Wow, that seemed passive-aggressive. _ Kaladin thought. He turned, grabbing his backpack from its place leaning against the wall. He left the room and began his long journey to the medical section of the campus.  _ I wonder what I did to upset Renarin.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how short this one is!!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt bad about how short Chapter 8 was
> 
> Also this chapter has very not canon gay content but I wanted it to be a ship

“We should get going so we don’t miss ancient history.” Glys said, rocking on his heels. Rua nodded absentmindedly as he took a bite of his powdered-sugar donut. 

“I know, I know.” He said. “Gimme a second to eat this.” Rua finished the donut in a few more unhealthily large bites, patting Glys on the shoulder and leaving powdered sugar on the other boy’s red shirt. “Lead the way.” Glys practically skipped out of their room in his eagerness to get to their class—one of his favorites at Urithiru University (it wasn’t Rua’s favorite, but Glys’ excitement over it was adorable). 

The two of them walked hand-in-hand to their class, receiving more strange looks from other students than Rua would’ve liked. 

Eh, he was used to it by now. 

“I heard there’s going to be a newcomer to class today!” Glys commented with a huge grin. Rua raised his blue eyebrows (like his cousin Syl, his hair was dyed blue—though it was brighter than Syl’s). 

“Really? And where’d you hear that?”   
“Professor Jasnah emailed me last night.” Glys explained. All of his teachers did that for him, since he got really anxious around new people. 

“Do you know who it is?” Glys nodded, and Rua reflexively reached over and pushed the other’s glasses up before they could fall off and crack against the pavement. 

“It’s her younger cousin, Renarin. He was at the party last night, I think.” Rua remembered the nervous looking black-and-gold haired boy who had been clinging to Kaladin’s side like a lost puppy for the first few minutes of Moash’s party. 

“Yeah, he was. He seemed pretty nervous. Kinda like you were, before you noticed that Syl and I were there.” He ruffled the short boy’s white hair, making Glys smile.

“Freaks.” A girl spat as she walked past, arm-in-arm with a tall blond boy. Glys flinched, moving closer to Rua. Rua, on the other end of the spectrum, raised the hand that wasn’t holding Glys’ and gave the girl a series of obscene gestures. 

“Back off.” He growled. The girl laughed. 

“Or you’ll do what?”   
“You see this?” Rua said, holding up his cup of coffee. “This is boiling hot coffee. How’d you think it would feel splashed on your ugly shirt?” 

“You wouldn’t dare.” The girl taunted.    
“Try me.” Rua snarled. The girl rolled her eyes, but she moved along, tugging her boyfriend behind her. Rua turned and looked down at Glys, who stared back up at him with his piercing blue eyes. “You okay?” He asked, voice quieting down. Glys nodded. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.” 

“No problem, Snowflake.” 

The two of them completed their walk in amiable silence. 

When Rua and Glys arrived in the classroom, the majority of the students were still entering—they’d been caught in the flow of classmates as they completed the journey from their dorms. Professor Jasnah, a tall, dark-haired woman wearing a striking green dress that accentuated her violet eyes, was chatting with a student.

Said student was Renarin Kholin, clad in a blue-and-silver jacket, white shirt, and tan pants. The boy was fiddling with a wooden box with one hand, and the other was carding through his multicolored hair. 

“Hey, Renarin.” Rua said as he walked past, sitting at his desk next to Glys. Renarin startled, turning. 

“Hello… Rua?”   
“That’s right.” Renarin nodded and resumed his conversation with Professor Jasnah. Rua glanced at Glys, who had his phone out and was scrolling through some document. 

“Whatcha reading about?”   
“The Nightwatcher.” Glys said, his eyes lighting up like they always did when he talked about something he liked. 

“I think I’ve heard of her.” Rua said. “Remind me who she is?”   
“She’s this ancient creature who lives in a forest and can grant wishes.”

“Sounds cool.”

“It is, sort of. Apparently for any wish she grants, you get a curse too.”

“Well, that’s just unfair.” Rua said with an exaggerated eye roll. 

“Everyone, quiet down.” Professor Jasnah said in her rich voice, causing the students to stop talking and look at her. “We are going to begin class.” She discreetly flicked her hand near Glys, and Renarin sat next to the white-haired boy. It was clear most of the students wanted Jasnah to introduce their new classmate, but she declined and delved right into their lesson. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know that Wyndle is mentioned in Lift’s first chapter (chapter 4) but please ignore that because this is the one where they meet

Lift bent down, tying up her ice skates. 

She’d started skating as a hobby when she’d started going to Urithiru University, mostly just to give her something to do in her free time. 

Turns out, she was  _ really _ good at it. 

She brushed a piece of her hair out of her face and proceeded to put on a pair of gloves to keep her hands warm. There were a few couples skating in circles along the edges of the ice rink, and two families with small children (who were using the plastic walkers to keep their balance). She even recognized a couple from Urithiru University: a girl with flaming red hair and a boy with blond-and-black hair. She was pretty sure the boy was a Kholin, but she wasn’t sure who the girl was. 

Lift held a hand over her mouth to mask a grin when one of the random couples tripped over each other, got up, and left the ice rink. 

Moving onto the ice, Lift held her hands out for balance as she began skating laps—a warm-up before she started practicing speed and the occasional jump. 

Lift used her small size to her advantage as she crouched closer to the ice and started getting faster. She noticed that a few of the other skaters were looking at her with shock as she practically flew around the ice rink. She tentatively straightened up, reducing her speed a little.  _ Here goes nothing.  _ She thought. 

Lift jumped, spinning and landing back on the ice with a yelp. By flailing her arms, she miraculously stayed upright. She drifted to the edge of the rink, grabbing the edge and taking a deep breath. 

All at once, people around the rink began applauding. Lift, breathing heavily, gave a tiny bow and a grin to the onlookers. She moved to a bench that sat a few feet away from the ice rink, sitting and taking off her skates. She massaged her ankles for a few moments—her skates were just a bit too small for her feet—before taking off her gloves and putting on a normal pair of shoes. She shivered as she stood, making her way back to her bike so she could return to the main part of campus—the ice rink was  _ technically  _ on campus, but it was pretty far away from most of the dorms and classrooms. As she was undoing her bike lock, a boy came up to her. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and was wearing what looked like yellow gardening gloves over his green shirt and tan pants. 

“Can I help you?” Lift asked innocently. 

“That was dangerous, you know.” The boy said. Lift blinked. “You could’ve slipped and broken your nose, that jump could’ve made you break your neck, or you could’ve run into one of the other people skating—”   
“But I didn’t, Garden Boy.” She said, eyeing the gloves. The boy stomped his foot.

“Don’t call me that. Only Syl gets to call me that.”   
“Syl? As in, Sylphrena?”   
“Yes, why?”   
“I used to be good friends with her, that’s all. We went to the same middle school.”

“Well isn’t that nice.” The boy said sarcastically. “I’m Wyndle.”

“Lift. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to be getting back to campus so I don’t miss my classes.”

“Of course.” Wyndle said with a nod. “I won’t keep you from that.” He turned, a piece of paper flying from a pocket as he did so. Lift picked it up, considering calling him back over and giving it to him, but she stopped when she read the paper. 

It was a phone number, presumably Wyndle’s. 

Lift smiled to herself as she added the number as a contact, preparing to text it at some obscene hour of the night.


	11. Chapter 11

Dalinar rubbed his temples as he stared at the massive pile of homework and tests he had to grade.  _ Why did I ever become a teacher?  _ He thought.

_ Because your wife and niece are. _ A voice answered. Dalinar took the first packet off the stack of papers, beginning to mark it down. His phone dinged, distracting him from his work. 

**Kaladin Stormblessed: I believe I may have upset your son, Professor.**

_ This is Renarin’s roommate.  _ Dalinar reminded himself. He’d ensured he had Kaladin’s number just in case something was wrong with Renarin. No, it wasn’t overprotective (yes it was). 

**Dalinar: What happened? I am not upset, just tell me.**

**Kaladin Stormblessed: We went to a party last night.**

Dalinar’s grip tightened on his phone. 

**Kaladin Stormblessed: It wasn’t rowdy or anything; a boy on our floor has one a few times a semester and he thought inviting Renarin would be a nice gesture.**

**Dalinar: Okay. And Renarin agreed to this?**

**Kaladin Stormblessed: He seemed pretty nervous about it, but I asked if he was sure and he said he was.**

_ Of course, Renarin would say he wanted to go.  _ Dalinar thought.  _ He’d hate to seem weak.  _

**Dalinar: Do you know, specifically, what happened?**

**Kaladin Stormblessed: No, other than that he lost his fidget cube. He came back with a little wooden box instead.**

**Dalinar: Okay. Thank you, Kaladin.**

**Kaladin: You’re welcome, sir.**

Dalinar sighed, running a hand through his hair.  _ Renarin, you will be the death of me. _ While Adolin had always been rowdier as a child, Dalinar’s neglecting of his youngest son had caused him to develop an unhealthy tendency to get himself into bad situations to “prove himself”. Not to mention that Renarin’s medical problems had given Dalinar 60% of his gray hairs.  _ I should probably call him and make sure he’s actually okay. He’s probably already told Adolin.  _ Dalinar dialed Renarin’s phone, hoping his younger son would pick up. 

“Hello?” Renarin’s voice said over the phone. His voice sounded thick, as if he’d been crying. 

“Hello, son.” Dalinar said. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“If it’s about my classes, everything is fine.” Renarin said curtly. Dalinar blinked, surprised at the tone.

“It isn’t about that, nor am I worried about that. You’ve never needed much help in the academics department.”   
“Okay, then why did you call me?”   
“Your roommate confided in me that he worries he’s made you upset.” Dalinar explained. “He didn’t give specifics, but I wanted to make sure you were doing alright.” He heard Renarin take a shaky breath before responding. 

“I’m okay.” He said. “Just a little overwhelmed, that’s all.”

“Was the party really that awful?” Dalinar asked, wincing at how insensitive he sounded. 

“No, I’m just a wimp. I lost my fidget cube and went straight down the road to a panic attack.” The bitterness in Renarin’s voice surprised Dalinar.

“You are not a wimp, son. You’ve gone through more than most people your age do.”

“You sound just like them.” Renarin said, and Dalinar could picture his younger son wearing a tired expression. 

“Who is ‘them?’”

“These three people who were at the party last night. They snapped me out of my panic attack, and one of them gave me a box for stimming instead of the fidget cube.” Renarin said. Dalinar paused, surprised. Renarin hadn’t had many close friends in school, it was both shocking and relieving that he’d found a few friends only a few days into college.

“Well, that was nice of them.” Dalinar replied after clearing his throat. 

“It was.” Renarin agreed. “To answer your question, I am okay. I just spent the last hour with my face buried in a pillow and listening to music to help with the sensory stuff, so I’ll be fine.”

“Glad to hear it, Renarin.” Dalinar said, proud that his son was developing ways of dealing with his disabilities himself—it had often been Adolin’s job to calm down Renarin when they’d been children or highschoolers, simply because Renarin didn’t really have a quiet place to go to if he started panicking in school. 

“Bye, dad.” 

“Goodbye.” Dalinar ended the call. He texted Kaladin. 

**Dalinar: Renarin is doing okay now. However, I should warn you: he might be lying facedown on the floor when you get home. He is not hurt, that’s just a way he copes.**

**Kaladin Stormblessed: It is good that he’s alright. And about coping, it’s not a big deal. I have a younger brother who deals with things in a similar manner.**

Dalinar sighed.  _ At least he has experience.  _ He thought. The first time a friend’s family had come over to find Renarin lying on the living room floor, face buried in a pillow, it had not gone well. 

Needless to say, that family had not come over to their house again, nor had the friend. Adolin had been positively livid at his younger brother, and the two had not spoken for almost three days before Renarin had written an apology letter.  _ I’m so happy they get along better now.  _


	12. Chapter 12

Adolin grinned as he scrolled through images on his phone, the majority of which were selfies of himself with either Shallan or Renarin. His personal favorite image was of him and the rest of his family, this one having been taken before he’d met Shallan. 

Father, Aunt Navani, and Uncle Gavilar were in the back, Father and Gavilar posing in ways that showed off their extensive muscles. Navani was blushing furiously. 

Himself, Renarin, Jasnah, and Elhokar were in the next row. Elhokar looked like he was trying to hide from the camera, standing mostly behind Jasnah’s tall form. Jasnah was standing straight and poised, acting as if she didn’t see the chaos around her. Adolin had just given Renarin a hard pat on the back, and the other boy was shoving his glasses up with a shocked expression. 

Adolin was glad that Elhokar’s girlfriend, Aesudan, was the one taking the picture. She gave him the creeps, and she would’ve ruined the picture. This was also his favorite because it had Uncle Gavilar in it. He’d died three years ago, and it was still like taking a hammer to the chest almost every time Adolin thought of his deceased uncle. 

He skimmed through the rest of the images, then put his phone away and turned to his computer. He had to work on a project concerning horses, and, though he loved horses, this project was extremely tiresome.  _ Renarin would be laughing at me.  _ He thought, smiling. His brother had never had any issues with getting things done on time, in contrast to Adolin’s procrastinating method. 

“How is the project going?” Pattern asked, walking past Adolin with a cup of ramen in his hand. He was eating it without any silverware, a sight Adolin found mildly impressive and mildly disgusting. 

“It could be better.” Adolin said sincerely. “But I’ll figure it out.”

“I sure hope you do.” Pattern said. He returned to his place on the couch, playing some game on his computer while eating—definitely not a safe choice. Adolin sighed, massaging his temples as he stared at the computer screen. He knew he needed to get something done, but his brain was refusing to come up with anything besides ‘horses have four legs and gallop around’.  _ I need to take a break; sitting and racking my brain for information for the next hour won’t do me any good.  _

He stood, stretching. Pattern glanced up, mildly interested. The other boy only spent a moment looking at Adolin before returning to the computer. 

“I’m gonna go chat with Shallan, anything you want me to tell her?” Adolin asked. Pattern shook his head without looking up. “Alright. See ya later.”

“Bye.” Adolin turned, snagging his coat from the wall as he left.  _ It’s a good thing Shallan’s dorm is so close. I do  _ not _ want to deal with driving right now.  _ Adolin strolled down the sidewalk towards Shallan’s dorm, ignoring the looks he got from practically every girl (and some guys) he walked past. By this point, Adolin had come to terms with the fact that he was exceptionally good looking. Deciding to give Shallan a bit of a heads up, Adolin pulled out his phone.

**Adolin: hey Shal do you mind if i come over**

**Shallan ♥️♥️♥️: Please do I am dying of boredom because Syl’s too busy eating and watching Youtube to play MarioKart with me**

**Adolin: well i do love me some mariokart i am coming then**

**Shallan ♥️♥️♥️: Prepare to get destroyed**

Adolin put his phone back in his pocket with a smile. Shallan thought she would be winning, but what she didn’t realize was that Renarin was probably the most talented MarioKart player ever. He knew every glitch, every shortcut, and every possible way to win on any course. Adolin had only beaten him one time, in Wario’s Gold Mine, because Renarin’s controller had run out of battery for part of the race. And even then, it had been painfully close—Adolin snagged first place, and Renarin had gotten fourth. 

Since then, Renarin had made sure that he always had batteries on hand, and Adolin had yet to win another race against him. 

As Adolin entered Shallan’s dorm, he made sure to leave the door open (a rule at Urithiru University: if a girl and guy were in the same room, the door had to be open so teachers could look inside). Syl waved at him from a stool by the table, an ice cream sandwich stuffed in her mouth. Adolin waved back. Shallan, sitting on the couch with MarioKart open and ready to go, sprang up and practically dragged Adolin over to said couch. She thrust a Wiimote into his hands. 

“Wow. You’re very excited about this, aren’t you?”   
“Yup! Now we’re gonna do the Mushroom Cup, you ready?”

“As ready as ever. Prepare to lose, Davar.”   
“Not a chance, Kholin.”

“You know, I’ve always liked Luigi’s Circuit. It’s so calm, and it’s not very hard—now wait a second did you get a Bullet Bill in second place?!”   
“I did!”   
“Isn’t that not supposed to happen?!”

“Think so!” 

“Dang cows! Get out of the way!” 

“Ha! Looks like I’ll be stealing this win!”   
“Don’t speak so soon!”   
“A Red Shell?! Was that necessary?!”   
“I’ll just go ahead and take first place, thanks!” 

“Hey, you’re in the bouncing part of Mushroom Gorge, right?”   
“Sure, why?”

“Oh nothing just the Lighting that I have! Ha! Now you fell and now I win!”

“Come on stupid mud, I need this win! I need it!”

“You’re not going to get it!”

“Please just let me die in peace—oh a Blue Shell you know what that’s fine!”

“Sucker!”

A very hectic fifteen minutes later, Shallan had beaten Adolin at MarioKart. He’d won on Moo Moo Meadows, but Shallan had won on all the other courses.

“I still can’t believe you got a Bullet Bill in second place.” Adolin grumbled. Shallan laughed. 

“Awww, sounds like someone’s a sore loser.” She leaned over and planted a kiss on the tip of Adolin’s nose. “How’s that for a consolation prize?”   
“That works.” Adolin fought to keep a blush off his face, ever caught off guard by how flustered his girlfriend could make him. 

“Yeesh, that was a rough race.” Syl said. She held out something wrapped in paper. “Want an ice cream sandwich?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for updating late!!!


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